The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-11-03
AFTER CHEAPER GAS
WITHOUT nEDUClNG THE PRICE,
Tho Laudahlo Experiments made By n
Chemist under the Direction Of tho City
Gas Board looking to Improving the X
Illuminating Power Of tho Gas. (,

There han been q good deal Of talk In
the psst two years Of the bad gas furnish
ed by the city gas work.. The cos! Of the
gss hos also been q matter Of complaint.
The difficulty wss that to illuminate q
house or room properly with the gas cost
q small fortune, especially to merchants
who have large establishments to light.
This was ono reason for the popularity Of
the electric light and the movement to
light large factories by natural gas. The
gas trustees recognized the real existence
Of this difficulty, aud come time ago took
steps looking to Its correction. n
The growing belief in tho utility Of nal.
ural gao as an illaminant has had its easc!
here. The vista Of several gentlemen to
this city In the interest Of machines Tor
rendering natural sas useful as an illumi'
nant by carbure!ting It will be romem.
bered. At Bellaire the city la aupplied
with gen by private corporation which
buys gas IRON tho Wheeling Natural Gas
Company and carbursta 1t by passing II
through oil. This syatem, the invention
OF q man named CritCheloy, OF Pittsburgh,
Is highly recommended, and tho trustees
hero were urged time and again to intro.
duce II. Before doing so they received to
aecertain definitely tho value Of this pro.
ceBs, end TO experiment with view 10
hitting upon 80 no other means OF bring.
ingup the city gas to proper illuminating
power. Prot. O. Z. Dwight was employ ed
TO analyzs the gaB made at tho city WORKS
and tho natural gse, and to try tho eaacts
Of certain mixtures. Fine apparatus ca.
pecally for this purpoae, including the
moot approved photometer, was procured
and since last March Prof. Dwight has
been engaged In berries Of careful and In
terasling experiments, which have beer
fruitful in good reaults.
In a little talk yesterday with superin
tendert Dillon. 80 INrELLIaKScER repor
ter was told tina! the idea OF improving
tho Illuminating power Of the city gae, ane
thus making m actual reduction in the
tcoat without disturbing the nominal price
net with much favor with the new ad
min;stration OF the works. he wants t
20 to Belllirs to-day and inspect the ga
works there and the results OF the pro
lcess.
From smother Gourco 1t was learned thu
considerable progress had been made b.
Prof. Dwight toward the desired goal
Just before the late Board OF Gas Trustee
retired from Office he filed report cover
ing his operations 10 that date. This re
port contains matter OF much public Ii
tereet, the substance Of which will b.
found below.
Prof DSight does no! consider the Crit
chelow process as well adapted to us
here rs another process Of which he mad
| prsctical tests. The city Sas hos bsel
commonly called eighteen candle power
and has ranged from l8 or less to Is. A
, BellaiIe they claim to obtain c % candl
power gas from natural gas and oil by tn
Critcbelow Bysten. In hia experiment
! Prof. Dwight found in the city gas amal
percentage Of oxygen which should no
be there. Heiound the gas nearly Away
i below standard. By mixing natural 20
. anG city gas in different proportions, an
then erriching them by various carbons
he found number OF practical mixture
which gave G gas Of greatly increased
GduuAo SONCt nv ltAuCSu CudL VI LtAA1
facture. The mixture which he eonside,
the most denirable fer ell REASONS gives
blszs OF q csndle-power when the ga
has presAure which burns five lest pc
: hour. The trouble has heretofore bee
that when there were complaints ci II
! poor illuminating quality Of the gcs, th
,, procure Was simply increased. 60 as t
: give the light OF five feet per hour by con
suming eight. The photometer former!.
in use by tho Bos!d has been found OF n
practical value. By its uss an alteratlo,
Of the pressure made an apparent differ
ercs in the candle power OF the gss.
. There is q trouble with gas WHICH tn,
general msss OF people do not know. Il
cold weather the gas loseo somewhat OF it
Illuminating power. This cannot be rem
edied by forcing tho gas through the pipe
at en- Increased pressure. This merely cn
lsrgea the cost to the conanmcs and Tlti
atea tho air where the gas is burned.
Prof.. Dwight recommends that anal
experimental apparatus be constructed G
the works in which gas can be made il
practical quantities, before any e1perHiv
alterations are undertaken. Tho cos! {
making gas by the process he iavorG " oul
be great deal lower than the present pre-
cess Of making cosl gas at the city work:
and doubtless the cost to tho consume
would also be materially lessened.